


getting it back

by revewuv



Series: almost, maine [4]
Category: The Boyz (Korea Band)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Dialogue Heavy, M/M, Symbolism, Wholesome, a loooooot of beating around the bush, hyunjaes a bit whiny and demanding, juyeon is a himbo who likes hello kitty, they are both bad at feelings, yet again!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-30
Updated: 2020-12-30
Packaged: 2021-03-11 00:20:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,030
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28426152
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/revewuv/pseuds/revewuv
Summary: Jaehyun’s between the many bags of love and the little bag of love. “What is that?” It’s obvious to Jaehyun―it’s exactly what he asked for. “It’s all the love you gave me.”“That’s not all the love I gave you―…? That isnotall the love I gave you―. There’s no way that’s all the love I gave you―… That isnotall the love gave you―.” Jaehyun says, mortified.“Is that all I gave you?”
Relationships: Lee Jaehyun | Hyunjae/Lee Juyeon
Series: almost, maine [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2075043
Comments: 3
Kudos: 29





	getting it back

Lee Juyeon is asleep in his chair. Before he fell asleep, he was watching his favorite cartoon, Hello Kitty and Friends on the television. Lee Jaehyun is pounding on his door. 

“Juyeon!” The door Jaehyun has been pounding on opens and slams shut. “Juyeon!” Jaehyun barges in. Juyeon is startled awake, but he’s groggy. “Huh?” 

“Juyeon!!” Jaehyun grabs the remote, turns off the TV, and chucks the remote at Juyeon to help him wake up.

“Hey! I need to talk to you!” 

“Okay.” Juyeon says, trying to be alert. 

“What’s up? You okay? I thought you weren’t coming over tonight ‘cause of Jaebum's bachelor party thing.” 

“Juyeon.” Jaehyun paces and seethes. It’s clear he has something to say. But can’t quite say it yet. 

Juyeon is now up and out of the chair, concerned. He goes to Jaehyun. “Hey―you okay?” Jaehyun shuts Juyeon up and stops him from approaching him. “Shhh!” He stills himself. “Juyeon,” He steels himself. “I want it back.”

“What are you talking about? Huh?” 

“I want it back.” 

“What do you want back?” 

“All the love I gave you? I want it back.” 

“What?” Juyeon says, trying to understand what Jaehyun is talking about.

“ _Now._ ” 

“I don’t understand―...I don’t understand.” 

“I’ve got yours in the car.” 

“What???” Juyeon says, completely confused. 

“All the love you gave to me? I’ve got it in the car.” 

“What are you talking about?”

“I don’t want it anymore.” 

“What do you mean you don’t want it anymore?” 

“I’ve made a decision, we’re done.” 

“What?” 

“We’re done. I’ve decided. And, so, I’ve brought all the love you gave to me back to you. It’s the right thing to do.”

“Um, I really don’t understand what you’re talking about―” Juyeon says, completely bewildered. 

“It’s in the car.” 

“You said.” Juyeon is completely baffled. 

“I can get it _for_ you, or... _you_ can get it.” Jaehyun says, frustrated that Juyeon isn’t doing what he’s asked him to do.

“Well, I don’t want it back.” 

“Well, _I_ don't want it! What am I supposed to do with all of it, now that I don’t want it?” 

“Well, I don’t know!” 

“Well, under the circumstances, it doesn’t seem right for me to keep it, so I’m gonna give it back.” Jaehyun leaves.

“Under what circumstances?” Juyeon calls to him. 

“Jaehyun, what are you talking about―? I don’t understand what you’re talking about―… What are you doing?” 

“I told you. I’m getting all the love you gave to me, and I’m giving it back to you.” 

“Well, I’m not sure I want it―whoa! Need help?” Juyeon shouts. 

“Nope. I got it. It’s not heavy.” He returns with an enormous bunch of _huge_ bags full of love. He dumps the bags on the floor. 

“Here you go.” 

“And this is…?” Juyeon asks, truly puzzled, referring to the bags of love. “All the love you gave me, yeah.” He leaves again. “Wow. That’s a _lot_.” Jaehyun returns with more bags of love. “Yeah.” He leaves to get more love. 

“Whole lot.”

“Yeah.” He returns with even more bags of love. There is now an _enormous_ pile of love in Juyeon’s living room. 

“Wow. What the heck am I gonna do with all this? I mean...I don’t know if I have room.” 

“Well, I guess you’ll have to find a place for it, won’t you?” Jaehyun says, upset. They look at all the love. Juyeon collects himself. 

“And now, I think it’s only fair for you to give me mine back because...I want it back. All the love I gave to you?” 

“Yeah?” 

“I want it back. So go get it.” Juyeon doesn’t move, because he’s trying to figure out what’s happening and why it’s happening. “Juyeon, go get it.” Jaehyun grows impatient. “Please.” Juyeon still doesn’t move. 

“ _Now_!”

“Okay.” Juyeon says, shaken and completely at a loss as to what to do. He leaves. Jaehyun sits in the chair and waits. He’s upset. Eventually, Juyeon returns...with a teeny-tiny little bag―a little red pouch―and places it on the end table next to the chair. They look at the little bag, which is between the two of them. 

Jaehyun’s between the many bags of love and the little bag of love. “What is that?” It’s obvious to Jaehyun―it’s exactly what he asked for. “It’s all the love you gave me.” 

“That’s not all the love I gave you―…? That is _not_ all the love I gave you―. There’s no way that’s all the love I gave you―… That is _not_ all the love gave you―.” Jaehyun says, mortified.

“Is that all I gave you?” 

“Yeah.” 

“Oh.” Jaehyun takes in the little bag...and then all the big bags. 

“Okay.” 

“Why don’t you open it, and see what’s inside―?” Jaehyun starts crying. “Hey, hey―what’s going on?” Juyeon is immediately by his side to comfort him. “I told you. We’re done.” Jaehyun resists and rejects Juyeon’s comfort. 

“Why do you keep saying that?” 

“Because―.” This is hard to say, but it has to be said. “Because when I asked you if you ever thought we were gonna get married―remember when I asked you that?” Juyeon remembers, but doesn’t want to, because he got scared and quiet when he brought up the subject of marriage. 

“In December? ...It was snowing?” 

“Yeah.” 

“Yeah, well, when I asked you... _that_ , you got so... _quiet_. And everybody said that that right there should’ve told me everything.”

“Everybody who?” 

“Everybody!” 

“ _Who_?” 

“...Chaewon said―” 

“ _Chaewon_?” 

“Yes, Chaewon―” 

“Chaewon said that, like she’s an expert?” 

“Yes, Chaewon said that how quiet you got was all I needed to know, and she’s right. You don’t love me.”

“What―? Jaehyun, no! That’s not true!” 

“Shh! And I’ve been trying to fix that, I’ve tried to _make_ you love me by giving you every bit of love I had, and now...I don’t have any love for _me_ left, and that’s...that’s not good for a person...and...that’s why I want all the love I gave you back, because I wanna bring it with me.”

“Where are you going?” 

“I need to get away from things.” 

“What―? What things? There aren’t any things in this town to get away from!” 

“Yes there are. You!” 

“Me?” 

“Yes. _You_ are the things in this town I need to get away from because I have to think and start over, and so, All the love I gave to you? I want it back. In case I need it. Because I can’t very well go around giving _your_ love―’cause that’s all I have right now, is the love _you_ gave _me_ ―I can’t just go around giving _your_ love to other guys, ‘cause that just doesn’t seem right―”

“Other _guys_? There are other guys?” 

“No, not yet, but I’m assuming there will be.” 

“Jaehyun―” 

“Shhh! So I think―. I think that, since I know now that you’re not ready to do what comes next for people who have been together for quite a long time like, get married, I think we’re gonna be done,”

“Why? Jaehyun―!” 

“and so, I think the best thing we can do, now, is just return the love we gave each other, and call it…” He takes in the bags―the pathetic one that contains the love he gave Juyeon and the awesome several that contain the love Juyeon gave him. “...even.”

It’s not ‘even’ at all. 

“Oh, is that really all the love I gave you, Juyeon? I mean, I thought I gave you way more than that―. I mean, what kind of person am I if this is all the love I gave you―...No...n-n-no!” Jaehyun says, fiercely. 

“I _know_ I gave you more than that, Juyeon, I _know_ it!”

He thinks; collects himself; then, new attack: “Did you lose it?” 

“What? No, Jaehyun! No!” 

“Did you _lose_ it, Juyeon? ‘Cause I know I gave you more than that, and I think you’re pulling something on me, and this is not a good time to be pulling something on me!” 

“I’m not. Pulling something on you. I wouldn’t do that to you...Just―I think―...God―…” What he says next he doesn't mean; he’s just simply at a loss. “I think maybe you should just take what you came for, and I guess I’ll see you later.” This is pretty final. He leaves to go into his bedroom.

Jaehyun is at a loss. “Juyeon―wait. Juyeon…” But this is what he wanted. He looks at the little bag, takes it, and is about to leave. But curiosity stops him. He opens the bag and examines what’s inside. 

“Juyeon―what is this? I don’t understand―...This isn’t all the love I gave you―...Juyeon. What is this?” Jaehyun shouts. 

“It’s a ring, Jaehyun.” The older shouts back. He comes back into the living room. 

“What?”

“It’s a ring.” 

“What? Well―” He takes what’s in the bag out of the bag. “This isn’t all the love I gave you―. This is not all the love I gave you―…” He realizes it’s a box that an engagement ring comes in. 

“Oh, Juyeon, this is a ring. Is this a... _ring_? A ring that you give to someone you’ve been with for a really long time when you want to let them know that you’re ready for what comes next for people who have been together for a really long time?”

“Yup.” 

“Oh.” 

"But...all the love I gave to you? Where is it?” 

“It’s right there, Jaehyun.” Juyeon says, referring to the ring. 

“But that can’t be all―” 

“It’s right there.” 

“But there’s no way that’s all of it―” 

“It _is_! That’s it! Right there! There was so much of it―you gave so much over the years―.” 

“ _Eleven_.” Jaehyun says, making sure he understands just how many years it’s been. 

“―over the eleven years―” 

“ _Eleven_ , yeah!” 

“―yeah, you gave me so much of it that I didn’t know what to do with it all. I had to put some in the garage, some in the shed. And after you asked me if I ever thought we were gonna get married, there was more of it than ever coming in, and I asked my dad if he had any suggestions what to do with it all, and he said, ‘You got a ring, yet?’ And I said, ‘No.’ And he said, 'Get him one. It’s time. When there’s that much of that stuff coming in, that’s about the only place you can put it.' He said it’d all fit in the ring. And he was right. That thing is a lot bigger than it looks. So...there it is. All the love you gave me. Just not in the same...form as when you gave it.”

“Yeah.” 

“You still want it back?” 

“Yes. I do.” 

“Well, then...take it.” He starts to open the box, but stops and refers to all the bags of love. “Can I keep all that?” 

“It’s yours.” 

“Thank you.” He looks at the ring box and is about to open it. But stops. “Juyeon, you didn’t have to get me a ring. That’s not what I was asking.”

“Yes, I did. It’s way past time. And it’s honorable.” He opens the box. “Well...it’s very beautiful.” Juyeon takes the ring out of the box, gets down on one knee, and puts the ring on Jaehyun’s finger. 

“Oh, Juyeon―...I’m so sorry. It’s just―I was at Jaebum’s bachelor party,”

“I know…” 

“and he and Seulgi are getting married _already_ , and that got me thinking about us,” 

“Shh.” 

“and then I was talking to Chaewon, and she said that how quiet you got was a red flag―” 

“Shh.”

He quiets him with a kiss. And then hugs him. The northern lights appear. How will these two ever recount the story of how they got engaged? That’ll be tricky. But that’s a problem for another time. For now, things are okay, Jaehyun and Juyeon―two people in love and in a little pain―hugging it out underneath a big, spectacular, starlit northern night sky. Maybe Jaehyun can’t help but take a good look at that ring.

**Author's Note:**

> sorry if the 'i want it back' and the 'that is not all the love i gave you' got repetitive :P but hey! another happy ending to gush about i personally love it


End file.
